Musicians strike at Radio City Hall

NEW YORK (AP) – Musicians for Radio City Music Hall’s famed “Christmas Spectacular” went on strike Wednesday, the day before the show was scheduled to open for the holiday season.

A pre-season performance was canceled Wednesday night, but Radio City said in a statement that the show would go on as planned Thursday with a recorded musical score.

Several dozen musicians picketed outside the Manhattan landmark Wednesday evening.

“It’s a very sad day in New York,” David Lennon, president of the American Federation of Musicians Local 802, said by telephone.

Stagehands for the show walked out Wednesday in support of the musicians, said James Claffey Jr., president of Local 1 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes.

“Tonight we honor the picket line,” he said. He would not comment on whether the stagehands’ walkout would continue on Thursday.

Earlier, Lennon said the Rockettes had also walked out in support, but that was denied by Radio City officials. A message left for the union representing the Rockettes, the American Guild of Variety Artists, was not immediately returned.

The Rockettes reached a contract agreement last month with Radio City Entertainment, which is owned by Cablevision.

The labor strife has created uncertainty for the Christmas show, which has entertained families for seven decades. People pay up to $250 a ticket.

Mark Everette, 5, burst into tears when he found out he wouldn’t get to see the the show Wednesday night.

“We’re going to go get something to eat and console him,” said his mother, Denise Everette.

The orchestra’s five-year contract expired in May, and meetings since then have failed to produce an agreement on salary and overtime issues.

The union accuses Cablevision of underpaying musicians who put on several shows a day throughout the holiday season. Radio City said it offered increases in salary and benefits “over what is already the most lucrative contract in the industry.”

Lennon said the union had agreed to management’s last proposal, but Radio City had not been willing to sign the contract. He said no meetings were planned.

“We’re going to take this one day at a time, and we are going to hope that cool heads prevail and that everybody involved will find a way to get the show back,” he said.

Student wrote on terrorism charge

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – After confessing to FBI agents that he joined al-Qaida and discussed plans to assassinate President Bush, an American student wrote a letter to his parents saying that “everyone makes mistakes.”

“I know this will be difficult for you … but I’ve been detained here in Saudi Arabia for some charges of terrorism,” wrote Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 24, who is on trial in federal court for conspiracy to assassinate the president, providing support to al-Qaida and other charges.

“It seems like I will spend some years in jail. I know that you raised me to be a good person, but everyone makes mistakes, and the best people are the ones that learn from their mistakes,” he wrote.

Jurors at Abu Ali’s trial heard excerpts of the letter during testimony Wednesday, but were told nothing of the confession he made to the FBI before writing the letter. The September 2003 confession is inadmissible because FBI agents, who had traveled to Saudi Arabi to question Abu Ali, ignored his request for a lawyer.

Prosecutors are relying instead on a confession Abu Ali gave to the Saudis shortly after his arrest in June 2003 in Medina, where he was attending college.

Defense lawyers contend Abu Ali gave a false confession after being tortured by Saudi security forces. The government denies that Abu Ali was mistreated.

Pa. hamburger company has recall

ATLANTA (AP) – A Pennsylvania company is recalling more than 40 tons of hamburger patties in 12 states because of possible E. coli contamination.

Quaker Maid Meats Inc. of Reading, Pa., recalled three- and five-pound boxes of its Philly-Gourmet brand patties made July 19. The boxes have the packaging code 2005A, 2005B, 2005C or 2005D, and the establishment code “Est. 2748” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The New York state Department of Health linked the product to three illnesses among Saratoga County residents who ate meat from the same package.

The boxes were distributed to grocery stores in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.

E. coli O157:H7 can cause severe abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms include vomiting and low-grade fever. Health officials said anyone developing these symptoms should contact a doctor immediately.

Quaker Maid said customers should throw out the patties. Consumers with questions can call (888) 674-6854.